Changed
by ericaaalynn
Summary: Nate left New York to be in the military when he was 20 years old. It has been four years and he's back for good and expects everything to be the same as it was when he left. N/S. DELETED CHAPTER 2! PLEASE READ AUTHORS NOTE!
1. Chapter 1

**I haven't written anything in a long time so I'm sorry if this is bad. Hopefully someone will enjoy it :).  
**

Nate walked into the small coffee shop he hadn't been to for years and took a seat at a table near the door. He picked up the newspaper that was sitting on the table and started reading it until a waitress came and asked him if he wanted anything to eat or drink. He looked up from where he was reading and answered, "I'll just have a black coffee, thanks." He use to hate black coffee - he always needed to put cream and sugar in it but he had gotten use to it since that's the only kind of coffee he had been drinking for the past three years.

Nate put the paper down and took a sip of the coffee that had just been given to him. As he looked around the room he smiled and thought of how good it was to be home.

As he was scanning the room a girl who was standing in line caught his attention; her blonde hair made him stop and think - he knew that blonde hair.

He kept staring at her and prayed that she'd turn around soon so that he could see her face. He needed to know if it was her. When she finally did turn around he thought he felt his heart stop. It _was_ her. She was wearing light blue jean shorts with a violet tank top and her hair was in a loose braid. He thought she looked more beautiful then ever.

As she was heading for the door all he could think about was jumping out of his chair and running straight towards her. Would she be happy to see him? Without thinking twice he got up out of his seat and hurried towards her.

"Serena!" He yelled across the room and nearly everyone looked at him.

She quickly turned around to see who had been calling her name. Nate could see the surprised expression on her face once she saw it was him. "Nate?"

She looked so confused at his presence. She was almost speechless. She hadn't seen him for years and now unexpectedly she's running into him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm home - home for good." He answered, looking straight into her eyes so she knew it was the truth.

Serena looked around the room and saw all the people that were still staring at them. "Could we go outside?"

"Sure." he agreed.

Once they got outside Serena's eyes filled with tears and she asked again, "What are you really doing here, Nate?"

He sighed. "I told you, Serena, I'm home."

When Nate noticed the tears in her eyes he moved over and put his hand on her bare shoulder. As soon as she felt his hand on her she shoved it off and told him to stop.

Serena moved back from him a little and leaned on the glass window of the coffee shop they had just been in. She looked him up and down and thought how different he looked from the last time she had seen him. His head was shaved leaving him with hardly any hair and he'd grown a lot more muscle. She thought he looked older and more mature; he wasn't the young Nate who had left her.

"You look a lot different."

Nate looked at her and chuckled. "That's what happens when you're gone for four years and work your ass off non-stop."

She let out a little laugh and nodded. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Serena." He said, meaning it. "There hasn't been a day that I haven't thought about you."

She faked a smile and pulled out her phone to see the time, acting like she needed to be somewhere. "I really should get going."

"Um," Nate had been hoping they could go for a walk and catch up - the few minutes they had just talked hadn't been enough for him. "I could stop by Blair's later and we could-

"I don't live there anymore."

"Oh." He simply said.

"I moved out and got my own apartment not too long after you left."

"And where's that?"

"It's not too far from Blair's - I'll text you the address later."

"Sounds good." Nate agreed and went over to her to give her a quick hug.

Serena thought it was good to be back in his arms but at the same time there was a sad feeling about it. "I'll see you later."

And with that they went separate ways.

* * *

"Hello?" Serena yelled, looking around the large apartment. Once she got no answer she yelled again. "Anyone home?"

_I guess not_ she thought.

She walked into her bedroom grabbed the phone and started dialing.

"Hello?"

"Did you know?"

"Know what?" Blair asked on the other end.

"That Nate was coming back."

"He's back? I seriously didn't know that, Serena. And if I had I would have told you."

"I can't believe he's back. I have mixed emotions - I'm happy and at the same time I'm mad.

"Did he call you?"

"We ran into each other at the coffee shop."

"Do you know how long he's back for?" Blair wanted to know everything.

"He says he's back for good." Serena answered.

"Hm." Blair thought for a second.

"What?"

"Do you believe him?"

"I want to." she answered truthfully.

"So?"

"So what?"

"So are you going to call him and tell him everything he's missed and what an ass he is for not even writ-

"Stop."

"If I were you I'd-

"Stop!" Serena raised her voice a little. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Are you going to see him again?"

"I told him I'd text him my address later today. Do you think I should? I'm not ready to tell him everything and the apartment is a mess and-

"Could you please stop rambling?" Blair chuckled. "You sound just like Humphrey and I'm not even surprised since you're pretty much related."

Serena just rolled her eyes.

"If I were you I'd just text him tonight and ask him to meet you somewhere instead of going to your apartment. Maybe you guys could go out for coffee or something."

"I think I'll be drinking enough coffee today to last me a week." Serena grumbled.

"It's going to be fine."

"Whenever you say that it turns out not to be fine."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Do you think I should tell him?"

"Not tonight."

"When do you think I should then?"

"I don't know - just don't tonight."

"I've got to go." Serena said as she heard the apartment door slam shut. "Thanks for listening to me."

"It's not a problem - it's even kind of like a part time job." Blair joked.

Serena made a fake laugh before hanging up and walking out into the living room to see who had just arrived. As soon as she walked out a joyful scream filled the room.

"Mommy!"

"Anna-Banana!" Serena opened her arms to the little girl who was running towards her and picked her up. "Did you have fun with grandma?"

She nodded her head. "We went to the park and played and then got ice cream."

"That does sound like fun." Serena smiled as she balanced the almost four year old on her hip. "We'll need to go sometime soon."

As soon as Serena put her down she ran straight to the television.

"I appreciate you watching her this morning." She said walking over to her mother.

"You know how much I love spending time with her."

"I have some huge news."

"You're pregnant."

"What?" Serena asked surprised. "Whose baby would I be pregnant with?"

"I don't know - Are you seeing anyone? You never tell me anything so how would I know?"

"I'm not pregnant, mom. Don't you think I have enough responsibility as it is?"

"So what is this huge news?"

"I bumped into Nate this morning."

"Are you serious? What's he doing back here?"

"He says he's home for good."

Lily grinned so wide that it made Serena question her.

"What?"

"This is wonderful!"

"How exactly?"

"Nate can now be part of Anna's life and your life too." Lily answered.

Serena shook her head. "It's not that simple. It still hurts what he did to me. And I don't even know if he wants to be in our life."

"You know Nate has always loved you." She let out a laugh. "I doubt there's anyone else he'd like to spend his life with."

"He's been gone for four years how do you know that? He could have met someone else."

"If he met someone why would he be back here?"

"I don't know." Serena answered frustrated.

"Does he want to see you again?"

"He does." She nodded.

"When?"

"I told him I'd text him my address later today but look at this apartment."

"Stop making up excuses."

"I'm not making up any excuses!" Serena hated that her mom still treated her like a teenager.

"Do you want me to take Anna out of your hands for a while?" Lily asked.

"It's alright." She shook her head and did a little hand motion.

"You sure?"

Serena nodded.

"I might take her out again since it's such a nice day."

"OK." Lily said as she swung her purse over her shoulder. "Please talk to Nate."

Serena nodded again.

"Bye Anna!" She blew her a kiss and headed out the door.

When Lily was gone Serena watched her daughter sit no more than three feet away from the television set; whenever she watched TV she paid attention to nothing else but what she was watching. Serena had learned not to let her watch anything before going to bed or she'd never go.

She walked over to her and sat down beside her. "Anna, do you want to go out with me?"

"Out where?" She didn't even take her eyes off the TV when she responded.

"We could go for a walk in the park, go out for dinner and maybe even share an ice cream."

"Two ice creams in one day?" Anna asked excitedly.

Serena nodded her head which made the little blonde get up and jump up and down.

"Lets go, lets go!"

She laughed. "Alright, sweetie."

* * *

Serena handed her daughter an ice cream cone that she had just gotten from an ice cream stand in the park.

"Bubble gum for you." She handed her the cone. "And cookie dough for me."

"Thanks mommy!" Anna said digging right into it.

"Don't think you're always having ice cream two times a day now." Serena slightly joked.

Anna just ignored her and concentrated more on eating her ice cream. Once she decided she was full she handed Serena her ice cream and asked if she could go play on the equipment.

"Are you sure you don't want to finish your ice cream?"

She nodded her head and said she was full.

"Go ahead." Serena said and watched her run off to the equipment in front of the bench she was sitting on.

Her eyes wandered around the park until she saw someone she wished she hadn't seen right then and there - Nate.

Shit.

She picked up her purse and went through it like she was looking for something so he wouldn't notice her.

"Serena?"

Fuck.

"Nate?" She said his name like she hadn't even noticed him before.

"What are you doing here?"

"A girl can't go to the park and get some ice cream?" She nervously laughed. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"A guy can't go to the park and get some ice cream?" He laughed, mocking her.

Serena rolled her eyes and laughed again.

"I just decided I'd take a walk." Nate said as he sat down beside her. "And I've been trying to find something to do while I waited for your text."

"Where are you staying?" She changed the subject.

"Chuck's hotel."

"Oh." She hoped he didn't expect an invite from her for him to stay at her place.

"So since we've run into each other again I guess we could just go for a walk now and talk or something."

"I'd love to but-

"Serena, I know you're trying to avoid me." he interrupted her.

"I'm not-

"Could we please go for a walk?"

"If you hadn't interrupted me the first time, you would have known why I can't right now."

Nate waited for her to continue.

"I'm babysitting."

"Babysitting?" he asked confused.

"Not really babysitting," Serena said trying to think of something. "I look after a girls daughter from work."

"So you're a nanny now?" He grinned.

"I only look after her once and a while so I wouldn't call myself a nanny."

"Which one?" Nate asked looking ahead of them.

"What?"

"Which one is your kid?"

He asked like he really did know it was her kid - _their_ kid.

"She's on the swings with the bright yellow dress on." Serena smiled a little as she pointed her out.

"She's cute."

_What do you expect she's your daughter._

He got up from the bench. "Promise to call me tomorrow?"

"Promise."

She felt horrible lying to him.

* * *

Nate walked in the Empire Hotel and saw Chuck sitting in the lobby.

"Have a nice walk?"

"I saw Serena."

"Again?" He r you keep running into her she's going to think you're stalking her."

"I ran into her at the park and I guess she was looking after some kid."

"Who?" He looked just as confused as Nate had.

"A little girl."

"Oh." Chuck quickly got it.

"She said she's going to call me tomorrow."

"Then she probably will."

"Let's hope."

"It might take her a while."

"I don't understand why it-

"You did leave without even telling her."

Nate knew he was right. "I'm going to head up to bed."

**So what did you think? I'm not too sure what I think. Hopefully the next chapter will be better. If you have any suggestions on my writing or this story please let me know and if you'd like another chapter please review. Thanks for reading!**


	2. AN

**I decided to delete chapter 2 because I really don't like it. I don't think I put that much thought into it and the ending was just rushed and stupid. It also wasn't looked over by my beta reader because I think she's away right now and I just decided to post it anyway. So I think I'm going to be rewriting it completely different. I'm sorry if anyone liked this chapter (I don't think a lot of people did) but I just really hate it. I'm not sure when the rewritten chapter will be up but hopefully it won't be in two months ahahaha. :)**

**Thank you!**


End file.
